SLA Toronto Event: Creating Your Personal Brand

SLA Toronto's First Five Years Team is holding their first fall event:

 Creating Your Personal Brand

Date: Thursday, October 22nd
Time: 6pm-8pm
Location: Lillian H. Smith Library

Information about the event and registering is here. 



More information from the SLA website:
 
Ever wonder how can you raise your profile if you are new to the profession? Social media is one way to have an impact and get noticed. Join consultant Connie Crosby as she leads our discussion on how you can blog, tweet or instagram your way to building a solid reputation as an information professional.
About Connie Crosby Principal of Crosby Group Consulting, Connie is a knowledge management consultant who specializes in information management, library management, social media, and records management. Connie has been blogging for over a decade on her own blog conniecrosby.blogspot.com and as a core contributor to the prominent law blog SLAW.ca. Her book Effective Blogging for Libraries was part of the award-winning Tech Set series edited by Ellyssa Kroski and published by ALA/Neal-Schuman in 2010. She co-taught (along with Daniel Lee) the Social Media Engagement certificate at the iSchool Institute. Connie currently serves as President of the Canadian Association of Law Libraries and is a co-organizer of the Toronto KM meetup group Knowledge Workers.
Light refreshments will be provided during the event.
Pricing: SLA Members and Students - $10 Non-Members - $20 Registration closes Oct. 19th at midnight
If you have any questions, please contact the New Information Professional Coordinator, Jessica Shiers -jessicashiers@gmail.com

SLA Student Membership Contest

If you are thinking of joining the SLA as a student member, now would be a great time to do so! If you apply for your SLA student membership by December 15, 2011, your name will be placed in a draw to win a free flip video camcorder .

Here’s how:

- Join through the special drawing application link at www.regonline.com/joinsla to become eligible to enter into a drawing to win a flip video camcorder.
- Enter the name of your student group as the promo code (SLA Toronto Student Group). Failure to use the appropriate drawing application link and failure to omit the student group name as the promo code will lead to ineligibility.
- Join SLA by December 15, 2011 so you and your student group will be eligible to win a prize. Winners are based on applicants received by December 15th.

Good luck!

Contest for free SLA membership!

This just in from SLA Sci-Tech Division! Find out how you can receive a
free one-year student membership below....

Two Free SLA Student Memberships Available

Are you a Library/Information Science student interested in Sci-Tech
Librarianship? Would you like to join the Special Libraries Association
(SLA)? The Student Relations Committee of the Sci-Tech Division of SLA
is offering a FREE one-year membership in SLA (includes affiliation
with the Sci-Tech Division as well as one chapter affiliation of your choice)!

To be eligible for one of the free student memberships, all you have to
do is come up with some creative & relevant ways that the Sci-Tech
Division should engage with library/information science students who are looking
forward to a career in Sci-Tech librarianship.

Check out what we already do at the Sci-Tech Division website:
SCI-TECH/SLA

To apply, send your creative ideas, along with your name, email, phone
number, address, and the library/information science program in which
you are enrolled to theaallen[at]gmail.com.

Deadline: Monday, October 31, 2011

Winners will be selected and notified by November 14, 2011. If you are
not selected for one of the two free memberships, you can still become
connected to a wealth of professional development opportunities, colleagues, and
mentors by applying for the SLA one-year student membership, a bargain
at $40.

Visit the SLA Membership site for more details.

Good luck!

Stipend Alert - Extended Deadline!

SLA's Environment & Resource Management Division Student Award Deadline is extended to May 1, 2011 

The ERMD Student Award recognizes a student who is especially interested in pursuing a career as an information professional dealing with environment and resource management issues. The award is $500.00, plus a $750 reimbursement award if the student comes to the SLA annual meeting in Philadelphia. The student must be enrolled in an ALA accredited master's degree program. This award is meant to promote both current and future involvement in and commitment to the library and information science profession prior to, during, and after the master's program. 

To be considered for the award, a student must be an SLA member and write a 300-500 word essay describing his or her interest in the issues facing information professionals in the environment and natural resources fields. Essays should be labeled with the student's name, contact information, and educational institution. Deadline for receiving submissions is May 1, 2011. Please send submissions via email to Liz Wallach at lwallach@bna.com. 

The award will be presented at the SLA Annual Conference in June. The winner is encouraged, but not required, to attend the annual conference. 

Questions? 

Contact Liz Wallach, Chair, Environment & Resource Management Division at lwallach@bna.com 

email for essay submission: lwallach@bna.com

Conference Grants!

Here is another exciting opportunity to attend the Annual SLA Conference!

SLA Toronto has again partnered with FPinfomart to offer the FPinfomart Student-to-Conference awards. With FPinfomart's generous support, two students will be chosen to receive grants of up to $1,500 to attend the SLA Annual Conference in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, from June 15-18, 2011.

"The Student-to-Conference Awards program is an effort to identify and encourage students who will make a difference in their profession," says Warren Cable, Vice President of FPinfomart. "FPinfomart is proud to participate this year and we remain committed to supporting the professional development of library and information science students as we recognize the importance of attending the conference," continued Cable.

Two students will be selected for these awards by the SLA Toronto Executive Board. Applicants must be willing to serve on the Executive or Advisory Board of the Toronto Chapter in 2011 or 2012."The SLA Annual Conference offers excellent opportunities for networking, continuing education and leadership development. The two students chosen for this award will benefit greatly from their experience in Philadelphia as they begin to transition into their professional careers. SLA Toronto is very appreciative of FPInfomart’s ongoing support of the Student-to-Conference awards and the development of information professionals,” says Jennifer Burns, SLA Toronto President.

Eligibility

· Applicants must currently be enrolled in an accredited library/information science program and be interested in a career in special librarianship

· The recipient may not accept a travel award for the 2011 conference from any other SLA division or chapter

· Recipients must be available to attend the FPInfomart Road Show in Toronto on Wednesday, May 11, 2011

Application Procedures

· Applicants must prepare a written statement of up to 500 words, in English, about what they hope to gain from the conference experience. These statements will be published in The Courier, SLA Toronto’s quarterly electronic newsletter.

· Applicants must provide a current resumé

· Applicants should submit these two documents, along with their address, telephone number, and email address no later than March 8, 2011 to Martha Foote, Chair, SLA Toronto Chapter Awards Committee, at mfoote@libraryco.ca

Good luck!

-ZC

Why Get Involved?

If you've thought about getting involved with the SLA Student Group or the SLA Toronto Chapter but haven't yet- it's never too late!

The benefits of joining professional associations while a student are enormous: not only are the fees often lower, you also gain so many opportunities to meet current professionals working in the area, who are often an invaluable resource in your future job hunt. Moreover, professional associations keep you well connected and up-to-date about the ongoings of the profession in your local community. As one member from last year's student executive states: 

"The way that I found my current job was through more of a conventional application-based route. The networking emphasized throughout grad school wasn't as important in getting the job, but it certainly is important within the job and in expanding my contact base for the future. I learned a lot about networking by being involved in the SLA Student Chapter and gained a valuable group of contacts that I stay in touch with, some of whom work within my wider organization, and all of whom I can turn to for help. I continue to stay involved with SLA Toronto, volunteering for one of their committees, as well as attending their events. I find it to be a rewarding position that offers a different type of experience than I get at work. I've also found that it's valuable to maintain contact with fellow recent grads; while I navigate through work experiences post-school, it's been helpful to have others in a similar situation to talk to."

What better reasons could you need to get involved or join SLA today?! Particularly if you are a first year student, we would love to hear from you! Email slatsg@yahoo.ca to get in touch with the current executive about opportunities for the next school year!

-ZC

SLA Name Change Vote

Don’t forget!!!! Those of you who are registered SLA members there is still time to cast your vote via email for the SLA name change. The email notifying you of the voting was sent on November 16th to whichever email used to register with SLA.

If you are an SLA member and have any questions about the vote the contact information is vote@sla.org or +1.703.647.4950. This is your opportunity to have your say in the future of SLA. Don’t delay, vote today!!!!!

Librarians and Information Professionals

Are you curious just what jobs there are out ther for librarians and information professionals? This link is from one of the recent SLA Connections emails and it lists the “Top 100 Jobs Where Librarians/Information Professionals Can Help.” Check out the link: http://www.sla.org/content/Events/centennial/jobs.cfm

SLA Name Change

The SLA (Special Libraries Association) is proposing a new name!!! It has been found that the current name does not effectively capture the diversity of individuals who make up the membership of SLA. SLA conducted the Alignment Project to gain a better understanding of what some alternatives to the name SLA could be. After 3 years of research and discussion, the name being offered up is the Association for Strategic Knowledge Professionals (ASKPro). This new name has already been subjected to surveying and now SLA wants to know what you think.

Beginning on November 16th, SLA members will be able to participate in an e-vote system that will serve as a referendum on this proposed name change. The voting will be open until December 9th and results will be announced December 10th. SLA has a specials page provided where you can go to see frequently asked questions and opinions and responses to these questions. The link to this page is http://www.sla.org/content/SLA/governance/namechange/qa.cfm.

If you are not already an SLA this would be a great time to join and have your say on what you think about ASKPro as the new and improved name for the Special Libraries Association.

Membership Dues Increase

As of January 1, 2010 the Special Libraries Association will be increasing their membership dues by 15% as per a vote by the SLA Board of Directors. This will be the first fee increase in 4 years. What does this mean for students? If you register to become an SLA member after January 1, 2010 you will pay $40USD instead of $35USD. This is the link to the SLA website that answers some popular questions regarding the dues increase and also provides more information about membership finances http://www.sla.org/content/membership/duesqa.cfm.

If you are unsure about the benefits of being an SLA member you can come out to our event this Wednesday from 4-6pm in Rotman 151 and meet with members of the SLA Toronto Chapter and ask questions about membership or SLA Toronto in general. The website for the SLA Toronto Chapter is http://units.sla.org/chapter/ctor/. Wednesday’s event is a great opportunity to get all your professional association questions answered. If you are unable to make this event, this link to the SLA site will outline some of the many benefits of membership http://www.sla.org/content/membership/mbrbenefits/index.cfm.

We hope to see you on Wednesday at 4pm!

JOBS, JOBS, JOBS!!!

Are you curious what kind of jobs are out there for students? The Professional Development Committee is hosting a job panel this Thursday from 4:30-5:30pm in Bissell 728. This panel will be made up of second year students who will speak about their summer job experiences and where they went to find employment. If you are already planning ahead or are just curious what’s out there this is the event for you. There will even be a few SLA executive members talking about their summer work experience. Come out and join us on Thursday!

SLA Science & Technology division: S. Kirk Cabeen travel stipend award

SLA SCIENCE-TECHNOLOGY DIVISION:
S. KIRK CABEEN TRAVEL STIPEND AWARD

http://units.sla.org/division/dst/Award/KIRKTRAVELSTIPENDAWARD.html

The S. Kirk Cabeen Travel Stipend Award is offered to a library school student or first time conference attendee. This $750 award is to be used toward expenses of attending the SLA Annual Conference in Washington, DC, USA June 2009.

QUALIFICATIONS: Be a library school student or first time attendee; be a current member of SLA, preference going to Science-Technology Division members; if NOT a student, then must be attending his or her first SLA conference.

NOMINATIONS: Self-nominations are encouraged.

Send a typed and signed document including complete title, name of Library School and anticipated graduation date, employer, and all professional and personal contact information.

All nominations must also include the following:

A short essay (500 words or less) on the theme of the 2009 Annual Conference:
"Information to Inspiration: Knowledge & Vision Shaping the Future."
The essay should be double-spaced. Neatness, spelling and grammar will count in judging. Supporting documentation must include a current curriculum vita OR resume for the candidate, significant publications, supporting letters, etc.

Applications should also mention if you are currently applying for other SLA division awards.

DEADLINE FOR NOMINATIONS: March 1, 2009. Nominations and all accompanying materials should be sent to Sheila Rosenthal, Chair of the Sci-Tech Division Awards Committee, at the following email address: (substitute the "AT" for @)
slr AT sei.cmu.edu

POST AWARD REQUIREMENTS:
1. Recipient (s) will write a brief article (approximately 1,000 words) on the conference experience for the November 2008 Sci-Tech News.

2. Recipient (s) will be asked to serve on the Science-Technology Division Awards Committee in the following year to provide for the continuity and enthusiasm of the awards.

NOTIFICATION:
1. Applicants will receive notification of award status by mid March 2009. The award checks will be sent to the recipient as soon as the receipts are received by the Awards Chairperson.

2. The recipients' names will be posted to the Science-Technology Division's Web site.

3. The award will be announced and presented to the recipient at the Science-Technology Division's Annual Business meeting/breakfast.

SLA Centennial Video Contest! 10k in prizes!

Information to Inspiration: Knowledge & Vision Shaping the Future.
Celebrating the Special Libraries Association Centennial, 1909-2009

The SLA Centennial Video Contest deadline of February 23rd is just a few weeks away, and while an Oscar may be in your dreams, $10,000 in prizes is pretty darn good (especially when you realize that there's $1,000 for a designated chapter AND division)!

So, if you are planning to submit a video, let the SLA know by e-mailing
this form:
http://www.sla.org/PDFs/centennial/video_contest_entry_form.pdf
to tbmccollough AT gmail DOT com

Any SLA member, individually or as a group, can submit a video, so get your cameras rolling!

More information on the video contest is at www.sla.org/centennial
(contest timeline will be updated very soon)
backup site:
http://wiki.sla.org/display/CCWIKI/Centennial+Video+Contest

Promotional Video on YouTube:
http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=yXR-e2tiDQs

SLA Student Scholarships - Application deadline Sept. 30!

Note: The SLA Scholarship is open to Canadian Students. You do not need to be a member of the SLA to receive this award. Check eligibility criteria for other awards.

SLA's Scholarship Program consists of awards for graduate study leading to a Master's Degree, graduate study leading to a Ph.D., and for post-M.L.S. study.

Each year, SLA awards $30,000 to at least 5 students who have demonstrated their ability and desire to contribute to the Special Librarian field. Details regarding the different scholarships, requirements, instructions and applications are outlined.

DEADLINE to apply is SEPTEMBER 30, 2008!

--Carolyn

SLA/CASLIS End of Summer Event (August 21)

Last Thursday, a merry combination of SLA-TSG members and iSchool students made their way to the Bedford Academy Pub for the joint SLA/CASLIS End of Summer event. The turnout was outstanding (so outstanding, in fact, that there was nowhere left to sit!), and the weather was lovely. Along with unexpected free food and samples of beer (betcha wish you'd been there now, eh Steve? :p), the evening provided an opportunity to meet new people, to chat with information professionals, and to catch up with former FIS alumni.

I was especially happy to get a chance to talk to Eileen Lewis (2008 graduate), and to discuss her new position as Research Manager of the Resource Dept. at the Toronto United Way. Along with answering several of my questions on special libraries and the transition between iSchool and 'I work', Eileen graciously agreed to be a Professional Profile interview candidate in the future.

For more information on our Professional Profile series, including how YOU can get involved, please visit the SLA-TSG website.

--Carolyn